Night watch
by Lil-Samuu
Summary: A piece of pointless fluff set during the game that features Colette and Sheena.


During game one-shot featuring Colette and Sheena. Plotless fluff.

Dedication: for Urby, who's a good writer who should have more confidence in her work.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia, Namco own it I believe. I'm just an obsessed fan. :)

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It was a cold night as Colette and Sheena huddled beside the fire in the little clearing on night watch. So cold that they'd snuggled up under a large blanket together with just their heads poking out of the fabric, looking like a sort of miniature totem pole. A kettle and two mugs rested beside them, remnants of the hot chocolate they'd shared earlier. 

"Quiet night tonight, no monsters wanting to eat us," Colette giggled softly.

"Why they'd want to eat us though I don't know, I doubt we'd be very tasty," Sheena laughed.

"I don't know, you've got some meat on you. They'd probably enjoy you more than me, I mean look at me," the blonde moved an arm out from under the blanket and waved it at herself, smiling.

"Ah, but you're so sweet, they'd probably think you'd be a good dessert," the summoner snorted as Colette turned around a little and playfully shoved her.

"Wait, are we arguing about being eaten by monsters?" she asked as she stopped herself from falling over by planting both hands behind her back, the blanket falling on top of them.

"No, I'm telling you they'd think you were a better meal," the angel laughed as Sheena rubbed her knuckles on top of Colette's head, messing up her hair.

"Have some confidence, I'm sure the monsters would think you'd be a good snack," Sheena laughed.

"What a lovely compliment, thank you," Colette giggled as she picked up the blanket and wrapped it back around their shoulders.

"I'm serious, you should have more confidence in yourself. Lloyd obviously thinks the world of you so," the summoner smiled as the angel bushed.

"He, I," she stuttered.

"Let me guess, you love him, right?" Sheena grinned. Colette nodded.

"What a surprise! Tell me to sit down before you tell me such shocking news next time," the older girl laughed, squeezing the blonde in a tight hug. Colette wriggled around a little then wrapped her arms around Sheena.

"You can't talk though," she said, her voice a little muffled as she snuggled closer to the summoner.

"Mmm?" Sheena prompted her to elaborate.

"About confidence. You should have some too. You're a summoner _and_ a ninja, yet you still put yourself down way too much," the angel replied.

"No I don't. Besides, I don't know what you're making such a fuss about, everyone in this group's working hard and has their own really amazing skill," Sheena said.

"There you go again," Colette smiled.

"And you never do that, Miss Worrywort who stays up half the night talking about her worries that she's not good enough or that she's never going to live up to the title she's spent her whole life preparing to be," Sheena raised an eyebrow at her.

"Nope, never," the blonde giggled.

"Of course you don't," Sheena smiled, rolling her eyes. "You know though, as far as I'm concerned someone who can take down a giant bear with big claws and teeth that seems intent on killing us using squeaky mallets deserves respect."

"I don't beat monsters all by myself," Colette said.

"No, but still, squeaky mallets. Respect," Sheena nodded.

"Mrrrph," the angel made an uncommitted noise, nuzzling up closer to the summoner as a cold breeze made its way through the campsite.

Sheena untangled an arm from the blanket and started to stroke Colette's hair gently in a soothing sort of way. Colette had hair that was nice to play with, that she enjoyed putting into different styles. Colette had never bothered much with doing her hair up in different ways when she was younger but as soon as Sheena waved a hairbrush in her direction she'd sit down and let the older girl spend hours combing and brushing her hair, putting it into a plait or braids before combing that out and trying something different. Sheena would never have done anything like that when she was living in Mizuho for fear of showing any signs of being feminine. She wanted to prove she was just as capable as the men of being a great ninja and thought that not doing anything that was even remotely girlie might help her do so. Out on this journey, however, she found the activity soothing, almost therapeutic. It seemed that Colette did as well, more than once she'd drifted into a peaceful sleep while having her hair played with.

The dark haired girl started humming a soft, peaceful tune. She smiled as she noticed that the little angel in her arms was becoming drowsy. Suddenly, however, the blonde jolted fully awake and started wriggling around like an excited little child as she pointed up at the sky.

"Look, a shooting star!" she cheered excitedly.

"Very pretty," Sheena said as she looked up at the night sky.

"I wonder what it'd look like if you could see it up close, if you could catch it and hold it," the angel said, her tone contemplative and soft.

"It's moving way too fast, you'd never catch it," Sheena shook her head softly.

"Have you ever tired to catch a shooting star?" the little blonde asked.

"No," the summoner replied.

"Then how do you know you can't catch one? Race you!" Colette giggled, leaping up and running off into the trees at the edge of the clearing in the direction of the light that was streaking across the sky.

"Hey, wait, no fair!" Sheena laughed as she ran after the angel, overtaking her.

"Now who's not being fair, your legs are longer than mine," Colette protested, slowing for a second as she concentrated and her wings appeared on her back.

"Well that's just cheating," the older girl smiled as she was once again overtaken. She laughed as Colette, who was flying close to the ground, collided with a tall bush.

"You're not even walking and you manage to trip up?" she giggled as she passed the angel who was asking the bush what it thought it was doing getting in her way. She blew a raspberry in the older girl's direction, backed away from the plant and took off again.

When she was just behind Sheena she called out, warning that she was going to catch up with her. The summoner turned her head to reply playfully that no, she wasn't, and yelped as Colette picked her up and lifted her a little way into the air.

"Told you I was going to catch up with you," the younger girl giggled, flying as fast as she could.

She stopped as they reached the edge of the copse, a small gasp escaping her lips as her eyes grew wide in wonder at the beautiful sight of the star sweeping across the sky above a landscape of lush, rich green rolling hills and fields. The only sounds were the wind blowing through the grass and the faintest noise caused by her flapping wings.

The pair stood still as statues until the star had flown across the sky beyond the horizon.

"Wow," Colette breathed as she set Sheena gently back on the ground.

"Definitely," the older girl agreed, both of them feeling they'd witnessed something special. They remained quiet for a moment, continuing to enjoy the beauty of the view. Then Sheena spoke again, a smile on her lips.

"Told you you wouldn't catch it," she said as punched Colette's arm playfully.

"It was too pretty to be caught, it belongs in the sky where other people can see it and enjoy it," the blonde nodded thoughtfully.

"You're just saying that because you didn't catch it," the summoner giggled.

"No I'm not. Besides, I didn't see you using you super ninja skills to catch it either," Colette smiled at her.

"That star couldn't have escaped if I'd have really tried to catch it, it wouldn't have been a fair match," the dark haired girl said, her tone serious but her expression playful.

"I'm sure it wouldn't have," the angel nodded, giggling softly. She took the older girl's hand in her own and they walked back to camp with content, peaceful smiles on their faces.


End file.
